The Subtle Grace and Classic Elegance of Redolent Wine Company Wines
Plus a roundup of other recent releases deserving of your attention
There is a small but growing coterie of winemakers who are facing the challenges of a cluttered market with too many lookalike wines by turning to creative experimentation. They find sites and styles and even varieties that have slipped past the mainstream producers. The results are a mixed bag to be sure, but when they succeed, they succeed admirably. And these are the wines that really light up this Substack.
Redolent Wine Company, begun in 2015 by Jon Larson and Boyd Pearson, is exactly this sort of enterprise. The half dozen new releases reviewed here share a common style – low alcohol, emphasis on finesse, avoidance of excessive oak. They explore new places and vineyards that are well off the beaten track, and mix varieties (some co-fermented, some not) that are rarely pulled together with such grace.
The wines are made in small quantities and sold mostly online or at the tasting room. The QPR is exceptional. If you are looking for powerful, oaky, high alcohol, super ripe wines… these are not that. If you are willing to take a jump into lesser known, more subtle territory, I cannot recommend them more highly.
Redolent 2021 ‘This Must Be The Place’ Chardonnay – Sourced from the Vivid Vineyard (a new one for me) in the Eola-Amity Hills, which has become the front row AVA for great Oregon Chardonnay. This luscious wine is made by Jon and Boyd at John Grochau’s GC Wines facility in Amity. It’s a balanced, supple and beautifully orchestrated wine, layered with peach, pear, papaya, banana, caramel, cinnamon and allspice. Many of the top tier Oregon Chardonnays have only recently been discovered by the old school wine media, and prices for some have climbed into the triple digits. This wine sells for about a third of that and can stand with the best of them. 65 cases; 13.1%; $38; (Eola-Amity Hills) 95/100
Redolent 2018 Waving Tree Vineyard Nebbiolo – Nebbiolo is clearly among the most challenging varieties ever attempted by growers and winemakers in the Pacific Northwest. Few have tried, even fewer have succeeded. This excellent example is already drinking well – the color of sunset, aromatic, smooth and supple, with scents and flavors of dried figs and cherries, pipe tobacco and lightly toasty tannins. The vineyard is set below the Maryhill Stonehenge and was first planted in 2001. This impressive wine plants an interesting new flag in the Columbia Gorge, which may turn out to be a special place for northern Italian varieties. 72 cases; 14.5%; $44 (Columbia Gorge) 92/100
Redolent 2022 Brother From Another Mother Red – This is a 50/50 blend of co-fermented Waving Tree (Columbia Gorge) Nebbiolo and Zenith (Willamette Valley) Pinot Noir. Adventurous to be sure, but a great concept well-executed. Both grapes have an almost ephemeral lightness, and here it’s reflected in the sunset hue as well as the elegant mouthfeel. For such a young wine it is complex and noteworthy, touched with sandalwood, sage and bramble, balanced and aromatic. Not big – not powerful – but challenging and interesting. It’s great to see such experimentation happening in the Pacific Northwest, and especially with grapes from both sides of the Columbia river. 434 cases; 12.5%; $28 (Oregon/Washington) 90/100
Redolent 2022 Sister From Another Mister Red – This is two thirds Sangiovese from Waving Tree and one third Syrah from the Three Mile vineyard across the river. A fine companion to the winery’s Brother From Another Mother Nebbiolo/Pinot Noir blend, this gulpable red has an elegant lightness that compares nicely to a young Beaujolais. Subtle scents of lavender and roses, flavors of cranberry and plum, soft tannins and supporting acids create a complete wine that relies on subtle strengths rather than pure power. 160 cases; 12.2%; $28 (Oregon/Washington) 90/100
Redolent 2021 Carlton Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir – This leans into darker fruits – marionberry, plum and black cherry – sheathed in savory tannins and clean earth. A hint of cinnamon suggests possible exposure to a percentage of new oak. As the alcohol suggests, this is bigger than the Pelos Sandberg Pinot, hence the darker fruits. Together they complement each other, reflect the vineyards, and perfectly express the stylistic choices of the winemakers. 193 cases; 13.2%; $40 (Yamhill-Carlton) 92/100
Redolent 2021 ‘This Must Be The Place’ Pinot Noir – Sourced from the Pelos Sandberg vineyard – a favorite of the folks at Big Table Farm – this is styled with light red fruits and gentle acidity. It’s a smooth, detailed wine with elegance chiseled into its core. Rose petals, strawberries, cranberries and plums combine gracefully with earthy tannins and hints of baking spices. Taken as a whole, the Redolent lineup stands as a showcase for elegant, understated, dare I say intellectual wines. 96 cases; 12.5%; $40 (Eola-Amity Hills) 92/100
More to explore…
Argyle 2021 Chardonnay – Barrel fermented grapes from three of the winery's four vineyards yield a lightly toasty, smoothly accessible and energetic wine sealed with a screwcap for freshness. There's a spicy lift to the core palate mix of apple, Asian pear and green melon fruits. Good persistence and focus through the finish. This drinks well now and can be cellared for up to a decade. 2000 cases; 13%; $25 (Willamette Valley) 91/100
Argyle 2021 Reserve Pinot Noir – This is a big step up from the widely-available, less expensive Willamette Valley cuvée, which I found tannic and earthy rather than fruit-driven. It’s scented with brambly berries, bark and sandalwood. Stiff and a bit unyielding at first, I strongly urge decanting to begin to soften it up. 3750 cases; 13.8%; $40 (Willamette Valley) 90/100
Argyle 2021 Giving Tree Vineyard Pinot Noir – This Polk County vineyard brings cool climate, young vine flavors to bear here. It’s spicy, tart, a bit thin blooded. Scents of raspberries, rose petals and chocolate lead into a sharp palate with an herbal streak and sharply astringent tannins. This wine will need aggressive decanting and may not hit peak drinking for another 6 – 8 years. 250 cases; 14.2%; $60 (Eola-Amity Hills) 90/100
Argyle 2021 Nuthouse Pinot Noir – All estate-grown fruit goes into this cuvée. It’s plumped up with berry and cherry fruit, laced with a streak of licorice, and finished with a hint of chocolate/salted caramel. One quarter of the barrels were new, and start to show through as the wine opens up, bringing a spicy edge. 2000 cases; 13.8%; $60 (Eola-Amity Hills) 91/100
Argyle 2021 Lone Star Vineyard Pinot Noir – Unlike the red-fruited Block 18 bottling, this leans into black fruits framed with brown sugar. The back half stiffens with tannins, bringing a savory streak and a firm, savory trail out. As with the companion Block 18 selection, this wine needed a lot of time to open, and drank better on days two and three than on the first day. 350 cases; 13.8%; $60 (Eola-Amity Hills) 92/100
Argyle 2021 Lone Star Vineyard Block 18 Pinot Noir – Bright and polished, this resonates with pure and spicy cranberry fruit flavors. The underlying acidity also punches up the fruit, and the flavors continue clean and refreshing through a medium-long finish. Remarkably, this wine continued to improve dramatically over three days, drinking at its best after being open 48 hours. Clearly the structure is in place for a decade or more of development. 196 cases; 13.9%; $65 (Eola-Amity Hills) 93/100
Argyle 2021 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir – Full-bodied, racy and loaded with dark berry fruits, this was released last November and seems to have benefitted from an extra year in bottle. Its blackberry core is smooth and broad, while reflecting the precision of sharp acidity and well-structured tannins. One third of the oak barrels were new. Given the screwcap closures on all of the Argyle Pinots, their aging curve is lengthened. When drinking them young, aeration/decanting is essential. 509 cases; 13.8%; $60 (Dundee Hills) 93/100
New Kid on the Block – Guerrilla Wine Company
This was the headline of an email I received from Michael Bockstahler, whose Guerrilla Wine Company has debuted with a stunning Chardonnay. “We are a 200 case production wine label focusing on single vineyard Chardonnay and Gamay from Zenith Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA” he writes. “We'd love to send you a sample of our inaugural Chardonnay release. “
I had hoped to include reviews of the winery’s other fall releases – Pinot Noir and Syrah, but I am told they are already sold out. A Gamay is slated for release in 2024. When that comes out (along with a few others, as yet unnamed), I will look forward to posting a full report. But for now, this excellent Chardonnay is what’s available.
Guerrilla Wine Company 2022 ennui Chardonnay – Sourced from the Zenith vineyard, this opens on the soft side with a mix of light floral and tangy tree fruit flavors. With ample aeration and when tasted at about cellar temperature the scents blossom and details abound. The signs of native yeast fermentation are abundantly clear – the feral edge, the notes of pollen and wildflowers, the subtle layering. Fermented in concrete and neutral puncheon, no batonnage, full malolactic. The fruit flavors keep compounding, with hints of honeycomb, lemon drop, a touch of licorice. Even after being open a full three days the flavors remained fresh and captivating. It’s a fine recipe for a contemplative wine with a refreshing burst of acidity through the finish. 125 cases; 12.5%; $60 (Eola-Amity Hills) 93/100
Wineries – The weather window has opened for shipping your current and upcoming releases. Your wines will be rested and given plenty of opportunity to open fully as I taste them repeatedly, often over 24 hours or more. Please include specific information on case quantities, release dates, retail pricing, vineyard sourcing etc. Two bottles of each is requested, not required. All wines will be tasted; only reviews and scores for recommended wines will be published. I will give special consideration to wines that have a compelling story or are breaking new ground.
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